I Should Hate You, But I Love You: Hakudoshi Story
by BloodyEmeraldRose
Summary: Moving to Japan, you believed your life would become more eventful, yet every day is just as boring as it was in America. Though when a strange occurance causes you to end up in Feudal Japan, can you survive against the demon's that inhabit the past? And is the voice you've begun to hear in your head, one that you can trust?
1. Chapter 1

You sat in class staring at the board, drumming your fingers softly on your desk.

A gentle yawn escaped your lips when the teacher started talking about the complicated equation written on the board, making you lay your head on the desk as you gazed out the window lazily.

_This is so tedious_, you thought. _Its always the same thing day after day after day. I thought moving to Japan would actually be more exciting than where I lived before_,_ but its just as boring here as it was in my old town_.

"Miss Ramona, can you please answer the question for me?"

"What?" you said startled, blinking your eyes as you turned to stare at your teacher.

Your teacher, Mr. Yukimura, let out a heavy sigh as his calm expression turned to a frown.

"Honestly Air, if you're not even going to try, why do you even bother showing up?"

"At least I come to school, unlike that girl Kagome…." you muttered out, making a few of the other students gasp.

"Don't be ridiculous, Air," Mr. Yukimura said, shaking his head. "That poor girl suffers from different ailments that could very well end up taking her-huh?"

Your teacher stopped when he realized you were gone from the room and let out an even greater sigh.

You had snuck out when Mr. Yukimura had closed his eyes during his lecture, and now stood outside the classroom door, your hands behind your back and your face turned toward the ceiling.

_I only come to school for my parents sake_, you thought angrily. _If it weren't for them, I wouldn't even set foot in that jerks class._

You swung your foot back and forth and let out a heavy sigh. "Its not like I don't want to learn," you whispered sadly to no one in particular. "I just don't feel motivated anymore. I wish I had more...excitement in my life."

You jumped slightly as the bell rang and watched as the door swung open and your classmates came pouring out.

"Let's stop by and see Kagome today,"

"Yeah. Maybe she's even well enough to see us this time!"

"Who knows, maybe we'll get a chance to see that bad boy guy of hers~!"

You rolled your eyes as the three girls walked by you giggling and made your way to the exit.

You had only seen Kagome once, but apparently, even though her absence rate was bad, she seemed to be one of the most popular girls in the school.

You had nothing against her personally, but for some reason, you found her extremely annoying.

"Maybe I'm just evil." you said, laughing slightly as you ran a hand through your long pale blonde hair.

You had been staring at the ground the whole time you were walking, but glanced up when you realized you were walking by the girl whom you had just been thinking about, house.

"She does have a beautiful tree in her yard though," you said to yourself with smile.

You had always been fond of nature, and had gone for walks in the forests in your old town more times than you could count. But now, living in a big city, there weren't many forests to explore in.

"Huh?" you gasped. "What was that light?"

Even though you knew it was wrong to enter someone else's property, you found yourself entering Kagome's yard.

You held onto your skirt as a large gust of wind suddenly started up and saw the strange ball of light fly by you.

You bit your lip, debating on whether to follow it or not, before taking off behind the house.

"Maybe I'm just seeing things?" you pondered, glancing around as that odd glowing orb was no where in sight.

You turned to stare at an old shrine building when you heard the sound of a door creaking open, feeling a little spooked. "That's odd. There's no wind even blowing..."

You slowly walked toward the building and hesitantly walked inside, tilting your head since there was only one thing inside. "A well?"

You peered into it, and for some strange reason, felt a pang of fear cross over your body.

"What in the world am I doing?" you said, shaking your head. "I promised my mom I'd be home right after school."

You gasped when you turned around and saw the light hovering in front of you. And before you could react, the ball of light went directly into you, hitting you with so much force, that you were pushed into the well.

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

It felt as though you were never going to hit bottom until you landed on your face, making you whimper a little.

"Ouch..." you groaned sitting up as you held your aching face.

You let out a stifled cry when you realized there were bones lying right next to you. "W-what the hell!" you gasped, crawling toward the wall.

You sat there staring at the bones for a few more minutes before shaking your head and grabbing hold of a vine to help pull yourself out.

"When I get out of here I'm going to the-huh?"

Your sentence stopped short as you pulled yourself out from inside the well and you got a good look at your surroundings.

_W-wasn't I just in an old building_, you thought nervously.

You gazed apprehensively around at your surroundings as you rocked back and forth on your feet.

_So, where in the world am I_?

You gazed up at the blue cloud filled sky and inhaled deeply. "Well, I won't find out where I am by just standing here,"

You made your way into a thick in closure of trees, only glancing back at the well once before continuing forward.

_Isn't that the tree that was in Kagome's yard_, you wondered, your eyes growing wide.

You ran the rest of the way until you came to the large tree and stopped when you stood directly in front of it.

_If this is here, than this must still be Japan. But, this can't be modern day Japan, right?_

You suddenly felt as though someone or something was breathing down the back of your neck and slowly turned your head around to see just exactly who or what it was.

You let out a small cry when you saw a large creature staring down at you, a hungry look within his yellow eyes.

"What are you doing all alone out here, little girl?"

"I-I!"

Your body shook with fear as you stared at this monster, and you only reacted when the creature reached out for you, taking off deeper into the forest.

Every now and then you would glance back, knowing at any second, he would be upon you; crying out when you tripped over a rock and ended up falling flat on your face.

_Dammit_, you thought. _This is just like in those horror movies when the stupid girl trips and ends up being slaughtered by the killer_!

You looked behind you and saw that the monster was getting even closer to you.

_But I am not one of those stupid girls and I will not be killed_!

You pulled yourself up and once more took off.

"**That's the spirit**_,"_

"H-huh?" you said, coming to a complete stop. "Who's there?"

"**Well, I'm not exactly there. You're hearing me in your mind**."

"M-my mind?"

"**Yes**. **And if I were you, I'd use that power you wield**. **Otherwise, you'll end up as a mid-day snack for that demon**."

"Demon? Wait power! What power? I don't have any powers!"

"**Well now's a good time to learn some**, **don't you think**?"

You flipped around and saw that the demon was standing right behind you; slowly backing up as a small cry left your lips since you had backed up right into a tree.

"Aww! You poor thing! Do I frighten you that badly? Don't worry, you'll soon be in my stomach and will no longer have to look at me!"

_If I have any powers, now __**would**__ be a perfect time to learn them_! _I just wish that I knew how_!


	2. Chapter 2

"Don't worry, little one. I'll make sure this is as quick and painless as possible!" the massive creature roared out, lunging at your frozen form; his mouth open wide to show sharp teeth that you knew could easily rip you to shreds.

You closed your eyes and waited on the demons attack, yet never felt any pain. You only felt something warm and moist hit your face.

As your eyes slowly opened, they grew wide from surprise at what was before you. The demon had been sliced straight down the middle and had a look of utter shock and horror written on his face before he fell to the ground dead.

You stared down at the demon, flinching from disgust since his innards were oozing out of his body before gazing up to see who your savior was.

"**Inuyasha**_…_" the male voice from earlier said in your head, not sounding too happy for some reason though.

"Inuyasha?"

"How the hell do you know my name?!"

You didn't answer him since you really didn't know what to say, and instead, looked over his appearance. He was dressed in a blood red robe that reminded you of something Shinto priests might wear while he had golden colored eyes and long silver hair. But what struck you the most, were what appeared to be two dog ears on top of his head.

_Is he a demon too_ you pondered, tilting your head in an almost innocent looking manner to the side a little.

"**Yes. And you can't trust him**."

"But, he saved my life." you murmured, crossing your arms over your chest while a small frown appeared on your face.

"I know that I saved your life!" Inuyasha snapped, glaring at you. "I could have just let you die if you'd preferred!"

"You're certainly arrogant, aren't you?" you mumbled, just giving him an impassive gaze. Savior or not, you didn't much care for the way he was talking to you right now.

"Why you little-" Inuyasha growled out angrily, holding up a fist as you raised a brow at this, wondering if he was actually going to hit you?

"SIT BOY!"

A small sweat drop rolled down the side of your head as Inuyasha had fallen flat on his face and you scratched the back of your head, wondering what the hell had just happened?

_I thought he was about to attack me_. _Why'd he fall on his face like that_?

"**Because his woman stopped him**."

"His woman?"

"Who says she's my women?!" Inuyasha mumbled from underneath the dirt as you just blinked down at him.

"**You should keep your thoughts to yourself, unless you want Inuyasha and his friends to think you're insane that is**_._"

_How can I do that when you're in my head_, you thought with a sigh. It was odd speaking to someone like this and you weren't sure how comfortable you were with this form of communication. What if this person overheard something that you wanted to keep private?

"**Would you like me to leave**?" the mysterious voice asked and for some strange reason, you got the feeling that he was smirking right now.

"I-"

You were unable to answer your telepathic 'friends' question since a girl in a outfit similar to your own, a small child, a girl carrying a large boomerang on her shoulder, and a man in a purple robe, came running out of the forest.

Inuyasha managed to pull his face out of the dirt and glowered up at the girl in the school uniform. "Why the hell did you do that for, Kagome?!"

"Because you were about to hit a human! And a girl too for that matter!" Kagome shot back angrily.

"Hey! She's wearing the same outfit as Kagome!" the small child cried out in surprise while his cream colored tail, swayed back and forth.

They were all staring at you and your cheeks flushed slightly. You never did feel at ease having a lot of people looking at you like this.

"Wait a second! I know you!" Kagome gasped out, staring at you in disbelief. "You're the new girl who just transferred to our school from America!"

"What's A-mer-ica?" Shippo asked cutely.

"A country far away from Japan. I knew she just moved to Japan recently, but how in the world did she end up here...?"

"I went through your well." you answered in a soft voice while placing a strand of your light blond hair behind your ear.

"What?! But how did you..."

"I'm not sure, but there was this strange glowing light in front of your house," you said, closing your eyes. "I followed it into that old shrine in your yard and it pushed me into the well. The next thing I knew, I was here."

_But it actually went inside of me when it pushed me_, you thought, opening your eyes back up to stare at the sky.

Kagome gazed at you for a couple of minutes before sighing, smiling faintly at you. "You should come with us to Keade's village. Your covered in that demon's blood and I bet you'd like to get out of those clothes."

You touched your face where you had felt the warm moisture hit you when the demon was killed, and pulled your finger's back off your face to find that they were covered in blood. You then looked at your outfit to see that it was also soaked in blood.

"I didn't even realize..." you whispered out with a small smile.

"Its better if you stay with us," Kagome said, digging in her backpack to pull out a piece of cloth and handing it to you. "Its pretty dangerous around here as you can probably already tell."

"Um, alright. Thank you." you said with a grateful nod, slowly wiping your face with the cloth.

"You've already met Inuyasha," Kagome said, motioning to him as he dusted himself off, muttering to himself. "That's Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. Oh! And the little cat beside her is Kirara."

"It's nice to meet all of you." you said with a small bow before smiling faintly at the group.

"Yes. It's _very_ nice to meet you." Miroku said, with a large smile and a certain look in his eyes that made you feel a tad bit nervous.

"Don't even think about it, monk!" Sango hissed, scowling at him as she painfully grabbed hold of his ear.

"I-I was only trying to be friendly, Sango. I swear." Miroku claimed with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, I bet you were…." Inuyasha mumbled with a roll of his eyes.

You cocked your head to the side and blinked, wondering if you should say something?

"Don't worry about Miroku," Kagome said, grinning at you. "He's a bit of a lady's man, but he's a decent guy overall."

"I see." you said, with a small laugh while rubbing the back of your neck, deciding to make sure you were never alone with this Miroku fellow nonetheless.

"Come on," Kagome said while shifting her back pack onto her shoulders. "The village isn't far from here, but it'll be dark soon and it's more dangerous at night."

You nodded and quietly followed behind Kagome and her friends as they headed back into the woods, wondering if you'd be able to return home anytime soon?

_They all seem nice enough, but can I really trust them_?

You could have sworn you heard the voice inside your head let out a small "heh" but you weren't sure. Either way, it seemed you'd be safest with them for the time being.


	3. Chapter 3

You were led to a small village that wasn't far from The Tree of Ages as Kagome referred to the grand and beautiful tree by, and glanced around curiously at your new surroundings.

In all truth as humble as this village appeared, it was beautiful with its green fields, lush trees, and breathtaking mountains in the distance. It reminded you of something taken directly from a painting. Even the smiling adults and laughing children looked like something from a picture. No one seemed to be fighting or rushing about like you might see in the city.

"I'm still finding it hard to believe, but I guess this really isn't modern day Japan," you said with a faint smile as you watched a pretty yellow butterfly land on a delicate white flower.

Kagome nodded her head in understanding and smiled gently at you. "I know what you mean. When I first came here, I had a hard time believing I had traveled back in time too. Though your taking this a lot better than I first did. Especially since you were just attacked,"

"I really like it here. Its peaceful," you admitted, placing a strand of your fair blond hair behind your left ear. "The city was way too noisy in my opinion."

"Aren't you scared? I mean, your in a strange new world and not to mention, you just learned that demons are actually real…." Kagome murmured with a small frown.

You gave a small shrug and glanced up at the sky. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared, but the city is just as dangerous,"

"Cept' there are no creepy demons running amok," Kagome laughed. "Come on, let's go see Kaede. I'm sure she'll be able to answer any questions that you might have."

You strayed behind the others who were talking animatedly to one another, sighing to yourself when you noticed the odd looks you were receiving from the villagers. It didn't really bother you that they were all whispering and staring at you strangely. You knew it must be intimidating to have a complete stranger just show up here in your village without warning.

Not to mention, you were sort of used to being talked about behind your back. You knew you were considered odd and different because of your slightly cold and indifferent personality along with the fact that you rarely smiled. But this was just the type of girl you were, and you couldn't help it if you came off as cruel sometimes.

The others must have realized you were no longer following them because Sango had turned to look back at you with an expression of concern. "Are you alright, Air?"

Your attention had been on the ground as you looked at the brown haired woman, blinking. "Um, yes. Why do you ask?"

"You just stopped suddenly and looked like you were staring off into space," Kagome said with a concerned look of her own.

"…Oh well, I just drift off sometimes. I'm a bit of a daydreamer," you replied with a faint grin. Which was true.

"Your a weird girl, you know that?" Inuyasha muttered, sticking his hands into his long red sleeves.

"Behave, Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, lightly glaring at him before smiling at you as she pointed over to one of the more larger houses in the quaint village. "This is Kaede's house."

_At this rate, they probably will think I'm insane _you couldn't help but think to yourself with a sigh.

You ran a hand through your hair as you watched everyone walk inside the medium sized wooden abode and frowned when hearing a small chuckle in the back of your head. You had thought whoever it was telepathically conversing with you, had finally left since you hadn't heard from him in quite some time. Guess you had been wrong.

_What's so funny_?

"**I suppose you don't need me to make a total fool of yourself**,"

_And your really starting to get on my nerves_! _I don't particularly like the fact that you keep reading my mind like this_….!

"**Heh**!** Well I'm sure I'm better company to talk to than those fools**. **Don't you find them much more irritating**?"

…_.They aren't so bad_. _And besides, you haven't even told me your name yet_!

"Get in here already, girl!"

"That's no way to speak to a lady, Inuyasha! Besides, miss Air will never warm up to you if you continue to be so hostile toward her,"

"Like your one to talk when all you want to do is grab at her ass, you tainted monk!"

"Would you two cut that out!"

You just stared at the house, wondering whether you wanted to enter in there or not, shaking your head before hesitantly doing so as you knew you had to be sweat dropping when seeing the small bumps on an angry Inuyasha and sheepish looking Miroku's heads.

"This is her, Kaede," Kagome said, looking surprisingly cheerful when she motioned over to you before turning to stare at an old woman wearing a eye patch over her right eye and wiry grey hair who was seated on a small red cushion.

"Aye! So you're the girl Kagome was just telling me about," Kaede said, staring at you with mild interest.

You nodded and pulled off your shoes before going to sit in between Kagome and Sango, squirming a bit since it was a tad uncomfortable having the old women analyzing you.

"I can tell just by looking at ye' garb that ye' come from another world just like Kagome,"

"Yeah, but I'm not exactly sure how I ended up here..."

"Why don't ye' tell me what happened before ye' came here?"

You tried to explain as best as you could all that had happened to you so far. The only thing you didn't mention was the voice you continued to hear inside of your head.

"Hmm," Kaede said, closing her eyes. "This light that ye' spoke of worries me. Ye' say that it actually went inside of ye'?"

"Um, yes.…"

"And do ye' feel any different?"

You shook your head and placed your hand on your chest. "No. I feel the same as I always have."

Kaede didn't speak for a while and you realized she must have been trying to go over all of this since her forehead was scrunched up tight.

"I think it would be best if ye' all stayed here for the night," Kaede said, slowly standing up. "We can try and come up with a plan tomorrow. I'm sure our guest is exhausted with all that has happened."

"Before that, could I maybe have a change of clothes?" you asked with a weak smile while glancing down at your blood soaked uniform.

You had never worn a kimono before, so Kagome was nice enough to help you put it on behind the wooden screen near the far end of Kaede's home. It was simple in design, only a faded blue color, but still beautiful in its own right and incredibly comfortable as well.

"That kimono suits you, Air," Miroku said with a kind smile. "You look very lovely."

You couldn't help but blush since compliments always left you feeling a little awkward and you nodded while placing your mat Kaede had gave you to sleep on away from the others. "Thank you…."

Everyone had already snuggled into their beds for the night except for Inuyasha who had gone outside, and the soft breathing coming from Kagome and Shippo, told you that they had already fallen fast asleep.

You just stared at the ceiling, lost in your own thoughts. You were more of a night owl, so you were too wound up to try and sleep even if you had wanted to.

_I wonder how my parents are_, you found yourself thinking sadly. _They must be so worried about me_...

"**So you are scared**?"

_I'm not scared! I'm just_…_I'm just worried about my family, that's all_.

"**Heh**!** I guess you're not as cold as you act**,"

_Cold_? _Do you think I'm cold_?

"**You do come off that way at times**.** But I suppose**,** the same thing could be said about me**,"

You remained quiet at this, only turning on your side as you stared at the wall with a impassive look upon your face.

"**You don't belong with them**,** and you know it**.** I can help you unlock the power that lies deep within you**. **You only need to seek me out**,"

_How do I know I can trust you_ _when I still don't know who you even are_?

"**My name is Hakudoshi**,"

_Hakudoshi_….?

"**Yes**.** And I can help you**, **Air**.** I can show you what you are truly capable of doing**,"

You bit your lip, finding his offer a little tempting, but shook your head. _I can't just leave everyone_. _They've been kind to me when they didn't have to be_….

"**It's up to you, of course. Maybe they'll help you find a way to return to your normal boring life**_._"

You frowned to yourself since as much as you wanted to see your family, did you even want to return to your average life style? You had always felt that you didn't belong there and this was one of the reason's you tended to drift off into your own fantasy worlds to escape reality.

…_If I even wanted to slip away_,_ Inuyasha would probably catch me before I got very far_.

Once again despite Hakudoshi not being close to you, you could almost feel his smirk drilling into your head as the mysterious male let out a chilling chuckle that made you shiver.

"**Don't worry about that**. **Tomorrow**, **just leave everything to me**."


	4. Chapter 4

You had woken up bright and early the next morning, not really able to get much sleep due to your wandering thoughts along with being in a different place. It always took you time before you became comfortable in new surroundings.

Kagome and the others were still fast asleep, so you had left them and found yourself resting on top of a grassy hill that overlooked the village; closing your eyes in relaxation when a warm gust of wind tickled your face.

_It really is peaceful here_ you thought with a smile, pulling your knees up to your chest.

A frown soon replaced your smile since Hakudoshi claimed he would help you sneak away from Inuyasha and the others today. But you had no clue how he planned on doing this or whether it was wise to actually trust someone you knew literally nothing about.

"There you are, Air!"

The unexpected voice made you jump a little, and you turned around only to see Kagome and Shippo running toward you.

"We've been looking for you everywhere! Everyone's been trying to come up with a way to help you get back home!" Shippo exclaimed with a grin.

"Come back to Kaede's and have some breakfast first. I'll tell you our idea there," Kagome told you, smiling.

You nodded your head, feeling a sense of relief washing over you that you may be able to return to your time. And yet, another part of you wondered if you truly wanted to go back. You did miss your family, but what else was waiting for you back there?

The aroma of meat and vegetables entered your nose as you stepped into Kaede's house where Inuyasha and the others were already eating.

"Thank you," you said softly when Sango handed you a bowl of rice as you hoped you wouldn't make yourself look like a complete fool when using the chopsticks you were also given. You still hadn't mastered using them.

"Since you came from the Bone Eater's Well the same way Kagome did, perhaps if you were to jump in it, you would arrive back in your own era," Miroku spoke up with a faint smile.

You placed your chopsticks against your lips, knowing there was no point in avoiding it. Despite your unsure feelings, you needed to return. You didn't belong here after all….

"Alright. There's no hurt in trying, I suppose." you answered with a very small smile.

"We'll all go to the Bone Eater's Well with you. There could still be demon's lurking around," Sango offered as this surprised you.

"Y-you don't have to do that! I'll be fine on my own…."

Inuyasha let out a scoff while taking a piece of meat Shippo was about to eat, causing the small fox demon to let out a 'hey!'. "You would have been ripped apart if I hadn't stumbled upon you the other day. But go ahead and do what you want,"

"Don't be rude, Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped, glaring at him before she smiled lightly at you. "You don't have to do everything on your own, you know. We want to help you out."

You just blinked, not sure what to say and looked down. They were all being so nice to you, even Inuyasha you supposed in his own unique way. It made you wonder if keeping the fact that you were hearing a voice from them, wasn't the best choice. Perhaps they knew more about this Hakudoshi person.

"Are you alright, miss Air? You seem deep in thought about something," Miroku spoke up, snapping you out of your concerns.

"Y-yeah, its just, I think I'm ready to head for the well now," you said with a small smile. You would be returning home soon, so there was no use in worrying about Hakudoshi any longer.

* * *

><p>The walk to the well didn't take long and you could only stare at it, wondering why you were starting to have second thought's about returning home?<p>

"Its too bad you have to leave so soon. You only just got here after all," Shippo murmured with a sad smile.

"Well, she can't just stick around here forever. She's got people probably back there waiting for her," Inuyasha said gruffly while sticking his hands in his red sleeves.

Kagome nodded and gave you a light pat on your shoulder. "Guess this is goodbye for now. Well, until I have to return home myself," she said with a small laugh.

You just blinked and looked down at the ground. In truth, you didn't think you could ever get along with someone like Kagome, well, any of these people for that matter. And yet….

"Actually I-" you began to say, only to let out a small startled cry when the earth beneath your feet began to shake.

"Wh-what is it? Some kind of earth quake?!" Shippo gulped out while he hopped up into Kagome's arms.

Sango furrowed her brows, shaking her head as her eyes widened when looking in the direction of the village. "I don't think so…There's smoke coming from that way. Something must have happened to Kaede and the others!"

"Air! You stay here! We'll be back as soon as we can!" Kagome told you while climbing onto Inuyasha's back.

"But-" you started to say, sighing as Sango, Shippo, and Miroku had climbed on top of Kirara as the five of them were soon taking off.

_Don't tell me this is what Hakudoshi meant by a distraction_ you pondered in slight fear. _He wouldn't actually harm any of the people in that village_, _would he_?

You bit down on your finger, walking closer toward the well as you wondered what to do; tensing up when hearing an eerie laugh that seemed to be coming from behind you?

"It's about time they left! I thought those fools would never leave you!" a gravelly voice said as you slowly turned, only to see a demon similar to the one that had attacked you yesterday, staring at you with hunger in his glowing red eyes.

"I know that mangy half-breed killed my brother," the demon said, licking his lips as he approached you closer. "And while I'll deal with him later, I think I'll eat the meal my brother was unable to first. He always did have a nasty habit of playing with his food."

You screamed when the demon lunged at you, losing your balance as you ended up falling backwards into the well.

"Ouch…." you groaned out, sitting up as your back side throbbed painfully.

"You think you can hide from me down there, girl?!" the demon snarled out as you quickly stumbled up and backed into the wall.

_Nothing happened when I entered the well_ you realized while clinging onto a vine beside you. _Does this mean I can't return home_?

You gasped when seeing the demon breaking the wells boards, and knew he would be upon you if you didn't come up with a plan fast.

_B-but what can I do_? _If only I knew how to use those powers Hakudoshi claimed I had_! _Oh_! _I'm going to be devoured at this rate_!

"**Hm Hm**!** You can't do anything on your own girl, can you**?"

_H-Hakudoshi_?! _You don't know how relieved I am to hear you_! _That demon's nearly destroyed the well and I have no idea what to do_!

"**I suggest you try to unlock your powers**, **unless you want to be demon chow**,"

_But I don't know HOW to unlock my powers_ you thought despairingly since that monster was now talking about which part of your body he planned on eating first.

"**Concentrate! You know how to use them**! **They're hidden in the depth's of your mind**. **Focus**, **and you'll remember**,"

You closed your eyes tightly, clearing your mind of all thought other than releasing the powers that lay inside of you onto the demon.

"I-I'm sorry, Hakudoshi…Nothing's happening…." you said softly, lowering your head as you wondered if this was really the end for you?

"Poor girl. Your so scared, that you're talking to yourself!" the demon laughed out.

You could swear you heard Hakudoshi sigh, but you weren't positive since your attention was fully on the demon who had broken the well enough where he could reach you.

"No!" you cried out, closing your eyes and falling to your knees; only waiting on your death as you hoped it wouldn't be too painful.

However, you didn't feel anything other than a warm liquid that was dripping onto your face.

You slowly peeked open one eye, nearly screaming when seeing the demon's head now lying down in the well with you.

Rubbing at your face, you realized it was blood that had splattered onto it. Even more, your clothes had yet again been soaked with blood as you couldn't help but tremble a little from this. You had never seen so much blood or death before in your life.

"I-Inuyasha? Are you up there?" you asked shakily while picking yourself up off the ground.

"Feh! That half-breed is still in the village with his _friends_," a familiar voice scoffed, emphasizing the word 'friends' with obvious disdain.

Your eyes widened in surprised since you hadn't expected him of all people to show up and save you. "Hakudoshi? What are you doing up there….?"

"Obviously saving your life. Or perhaps you would have rather I hadn't, Air?"

"N-no! I mean, thank you…." you stammered out, not sure why you were becoming so flustered.

Hakudoshi chuckled and you watched as the demon body hanging limply over the side of the well, was easily tossed away. Though when your savior stepped forward and looked down at you, you couldn't help but gasp when getting a good look at his appearance.

_A_…_child_?

"**Yes**, **I'm a child**. **Were you expecting someone different**?"

You felt your cheeks grow warm since you forgot he could hear your thoughts and walked closer to where he stood, blinking as a rope was thrown down.

"Hurry and climb out," Hakudoshi instructed as you only nodded and clambered up the rope as quickly as you could muster; panting once you had since you were still shaken up about what had nearly happened.

Though now that you were in the light, you could get a better look at Hakudoshi. He appeared to be around nine, maybe eleven years old, with violet eyes, pale skin, and light purple hair that reached his mid-back. His clothes were white and decorated with large yellow and blue buttons that ran down the front.

"Is there something interesting about my face?" Hakudoshi asked with a smirk.

"…No. Um, thank you for helping me," you said, averting your eyes since you didn't realize you had been staring.

"Here, put this own. I imagine you don't like being covered in blood," Hakudoshi mused with a small snicker, tossing you a rather beautiful light blue kimono decorated with white flowers and a green obi.

"Thank you," you said, feeling the silky material beneath your fingers. It seemed much more expensive than the kimono you had on.

"Well, hurry and get dressed," Hakudoshi said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking impatient.

"I'm not undressing with you standing there!" you gasped out, looking at the young boy as though he were mad.

Hakudoshi only snorted before he sneered at you. "I'm only a child, right?"

You rose a brow at him, crossing your arms across your own chest while you glared lightly at him.

"Fine. Its not like I'm interested in that body of yours, you know," Hakudoshi said, rolling his eyes like a stubborn child would. He turned to leave, but paused to say something more to you. "I'll be waiting for you deeper in the forest. And after saving you, I expect you won't go running back to Inuyasha."

You just watched him quietly as he headed off, sighing before pulling off the crimson stained kimono you wore.

_Looks like the only thing I have to worry about now is Inuyasha and the others showing up while I'm getting undressed_ you told yourself with a grimace.


	5. Chapter 5

Once you were garbed in the kimono Hakudoshi had given you, hoping you had it on correctly since wearing such clothing was still new to you, your eyes turned on the well; a deep frown crossing your lips from seeing just how severe the damage was to it.

_I hope Kagome is still able to return home, _you thought while sighing to yourself, placing a strand of your hair behind your ear before gazing up at the sky.

_But I couldn't return myself_. _I know I should feel much worse than I do_, _and yet_….

"**Would you care to stop wallowing in your own self pity**? **Inuyasha has already disposed of the demon and is on his way back to you**!" a curt voice snapped in your head.

You couldn't help but to glare at the spot straight in front of you even though Hakudoshi wasn't there, but took off into the woods where the demon child was waiting for you.

You weren't certain of how far you had ran, but hopefully, you had put enough distance between Inuyasha and the others since you weren't sure you could go any further.

"Human's really are such weak creatures. You get exhausted so easily," an amused male voice whispered into your ear, making you jump in fright.

"D-don't sneak up on me like that!" you cried out angrily, while your hand rested on your beating heart. Though you did wonder what that purple orb of light that had been surrounding Hakudoshi, was.

Hakudoshi just chuckled and moved to stand beside you as this made you blink. "Can I help it if you're so jumpy? I bet your afraid of heights too,"

You just blinked, not sure what he meant by that, but gasped as that same purple energy that had been around him, encircled the both of you before it carried you up into the air.

"What is this?" you asked in a soft voice as your fingers reached out to touch the energy. You felt a slight shock of static, but it didn't really hurt.

"A barrier, and it's the best way to get away from Inuyasha's heightened sense of smell," Hakudoshi explained with a small smirk. "Maybe even you will learn to create one yourself. Though at the rate you're going, I suppose I shouldn't hold my breath."

You decided to just ignore his comment, and instead, stared down as you found the sight beautiful. And when you were descending, you couldn't help but feel a little sad since truthfully, you felt more content in the air instead of on the ground.

"Now, I think its time we begin working on developing your powers. Otherwise, you'll be dead by tomorrow," Hakudoshi said, now leaning up against a tree.

You tilted your head from Hakudoshi's words while a small frown appeared on your face. "Want you be here though?"

Hakudoshi just shook his head and closed his eyes. "I can't always be here to babysit you, Air. I have other things that are more important to do,"

"Oh, right…." you murmured, looking over at the side while rubbing at your arm.

_I guess I shouldn't be surprised_. _I'm used to being on my own_. _Even the few friends I had back in America_, _seemed to have more fun when I wasn't around_….

When you turned your attention back on Hakudoshi, you noticed that he was staring at you with an unreadable expression. It made you wonder if he had been eavesdropping on your thoughts yet again?

You weren't sure whether to be mad or not, but were now confused, and a little worried when Hakudoshi placed his fingers into his lips, letting out a shrill whistle that caused some nearby birds to fly away.

And you didn't like the way the ground beneath your feet had started to quake either; turning around as you almost weren't surprised when seeing a massive demon taking out various trees as it made its way toward you.

"This will be your first test," Hakudoshi said, grinning from the look that was on your face. "Glare at me all you want, but you have to learn some how."

The lavender haired boy then jumped up onto a branch of the tree he had been leaning against, and chuckled. "And don't feel bad about killing him. He's a complete barbaric idiot,"

"And I guess that's supposed to make me feel better?!" you snapped while finding a nice thick tree to hide behind.

You peeked around your hiding spot to see that the demon had stopped, and appeared to be looking for you as a clueless look was on his face while he scratched between the black horns on his head.

_Hakudoshi was right_. _This guy is pretty brainless _you realized with a frown. _But I think that makes me feel worse about killing him_. _Well, if I knew how to kill him_….

"**Mind hurrying up**? **I don't have all day**,"

You turned to where Hakudoshi was, giving him a heated look when seeing how much he was actually enjoying this.

_Okay_, _try to focus_. _I know these so called powers have to be in me somewhere _you told yourself while closing your eyes. _Why else would I have been able to come to this era and have seen that odd light_?

Something inside of you seemed to click when remembering that glowing ball of light, and it was a good thing you had opened your eyes to jump out of the way, or you might have been pounded into the ground like that poor tree was.

You slowly started to back up when the demon's gaze met yours, crying out as a sharp pain hit your palm as if it had been cut with a knife.

You saw no blood when you peered down at your hand, but what looked like a black tattoo of the sun and moon conjoined instead.

"What in the world?" you whispered, touching the mark, but jerked your hand back since an intense heat was coming from it. What was even more surprising, the mark of the sun had started to glow.

Your body tensed up since a dark shadow was hovering over you; having forgotten all about the demon due to your new discovery, and you held up your hand as if it would shield you from the large fist that was about to crush you.

"Aah!" you cried out from both shock and slight fear when a golden light shot out of your palm; having to dig your feet into the ground just so you wouldn't go shooting backwards as the energy seemed to be rather powerful.

When the light suddenly faded, you fell to your knees and saw that all that remained of the very large demon, was a few body parts.

Hakudoshi kicked one of the demon's hands away as he approached you with a smirk. "Well now, your stronger than I thought you would be,"

You didn't say anything, only staring at what little remained of the demon, before your eyes gazed down at the mark on your hand.

_I-I can't believe I just did that_…_That's the first time I've ever killed something too_…_I know that he was a demon and would have killed me_, _but I feel so horrible_….

You placed your hand against your face, feeling suddenly dizzy and extremely weak. "Um, Hakudoshi?"

"What?"

"I…I don't feel very good…." you said with a weak smile, falling over on your side while your eyes closed.

* * *

><p>Your eyes slowly fluttered open and you realized you were laying close to a small fire; wincing as you sat up since your body lightly ached, and it took a moment for your eyes to adjust to your surroundings.<p>

Though you spotted a familiar figure nearby as he was leaning against a log with his arms crossed in front of him and his eyes closed.

_He must be asleep_….you pondered since Hakudoshi had such a peaceful look on his pale features. In a way, he looked rather cute.

As you thought this, Hakudoshi opened one eye that stared directly at you. "Finally awake, huh?"

"What happened?"

"You overexerted your powers and collapsed," Hakudoshi said, placing his hands behind his head while continuing to stare at you. "It was lucky I was around since your attack seemed to attract a horde of demon's to our location."

Your eyes widened at this, and you looked down guiltily as you seemed to always end up causing trouble or finding yourself in it. "I'm sorry…."

"It doesn't matter," Hakudoshi said with a wave of his hand before standing up. "You're at least making some progress, so we're finally getting some where."

You smiled faintly at this and gazed down at your now marked right hand. "Yeah, I still can't believe I did something like that….!"

_Maybe I'm not completely useless after all_….

"Heh! I wouldn't be too sure about that!" Hakudoshi snorted with a condescending smirk on his face.

Your face grew warm, and it wasn't because of the fire; jumping to your feet while your hands balled into tight fists. "Would…would you stay out of my head!"

"Why? Scared I'll come across something you don't want me to know about?" Hakudoshi mused, simply rolling his eyes at your scathing look. "Anyways, try not to do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"Your…leaving me alone?" you murmured while looking down. Despite Hakudoshi being rather annoying, you enjoyed having his presence near you. He made you feel…safe.

"I said this before: I can't always be around to babysit you," Hakudoshi muttered, looking up at the sky with a scowl. "What the hell is taking Kagura so long?"

"Um, Kagura?" you asked softly while tilting your head slightly to the side.

"A worthless woman who is a reincarnation of the same man like me," Hakudoshi said bitterly while tapping his foot in impatience. But his words only caused a question mark to appear above your head.

Before you could question him further, a dark haired woman wearing a red and white kimono with butterflies printed on it and riding on a feather, landed with an annoyed look on her face.

"You're late, Kagura," Hakudoshi said curtly.

"Sorry, but Naraku had other things he required me to do," Kagura said to him impassively.

"I wonder about that," Hakudoshi said with a rather menacing smile before he turned to look back at you. "Don't leave this area, understood?"

"Um, yes…." you said while scratching at your cheek, feeling a bit awkward since Kagura's crimson eyes were staring you down.

"And who is this?" Kagura asked with a raised brow and small smirk.

"She is none of your concern," Hakudoshi said coldly. "Let's go, Kagura."

Kagura just sighed, removing the feather from her hair as you watched in amazement as it turned into the large feather she had been riding on; Hakudoshi and her boarding it before they were taking off through the nighttime sky.

Now alone, you let out a heavy sigh and went to sit back down in front of the fire, pulling your knees up to your chest. "Wonder what I should do?"

You blinked, only now noticing a sack not too far from where you were as you crawled over to it.

"Well, at least I won't starve," you said, smiling to yourself when seeing fruits, vegetables, and even what looked like meat inside.

Your tummy rumbled, causing you to blush despite being alone. You hadn't realized just how hungry you were, and you grabbed what looked like boar meat to cook over the fire.

"I'm…a little lonely now," you whispered after finding a long stick to use to roast the meat over the fire with, hoping you were doing this right since you had never cooked this way before.

It was a little tough, and you were pretty sure you hadn't let it cook as long as you should have, but at least you were full now. Unsure what to do, you decided to lay down on your side and rest.

_After being out for so long_, _I shouldn't feel tired _you thought with a faint smile since you were finding it difficult to keep your eyes open. _Maybe sleeping will be alright_…_Still_, _I really hope Hakudoshi comes back soon_.

* * *

><p>It felt like you hadn't been asleep for very long at all, but a sharp bump caused you to awaken.<p>

_Wait_…_why am I moving_? _And why can't I move my arms_?

Seeing that you were on a wooden cart, you squirmed around and realized that your arms had been bound behind your back. Even more, you weren't alone as other women were on the cart with you, and most of them were crying or looked scared to death.

But that was understandable since demon's were on either side of the cart that was being pulled by horses. And the thing you noticed about these demon's, they had ears on top of their head similar to Inuyasha's, but theirs appeared to be more feline like.

"Air! I'm so glad to see you're okay!"

Your eyes widened from the familiar voice and you managed to sit up on your knees where you turned your attention on Kagome who was looking at you with a faint smile.

"Kagome? What….?" you said in slight disbelief.

"I was hoping you had made it back to our time when we came back and saw you no longer at the well. But then, Inuyasha said he caught a faint whiff of Naraku's scent," Kagome said in a concerned tone. "Everyone was worried that you had been taken by him…."

_Is Naraku the man Hakudoshi mentioned he was a reincarnation of_ you wondered while looking down at your lap.

"You mentioned a Naraku…Who is he?"

"A horrible demon who enjoys the suffering of others," Kagome said as her face crinkled up in disgust. "Naraku is collecting shards of a jewel called the Shikon no Tama or Sacred Jewel, which can grant any wish to the one who holds it. Right now, its not complete, but if Naraku manages to make it whole and has his wish granted…."

"It won't be good, I'm guessing?" you whispered, having a sinking feeling in your heart that maybe choosing to follow Hakudoshi, had been the wrong decision after all.

"Right. And because of Naraku, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, they've all suffered because of that monster," Kagome said sadly. "We've all been fighting him for so long, but I know we'll defeat him one day."

_Should I ask her about Hakudoshi_? _Maybe Naraku's reincarnation's aren't as evil as he is_?

You decided against this though and instead told her, "I was attacked by a demon, but I don't think it was this Naraku guy. I ended up running and managed to get away, but I was too far away from you and the others to find my way back,"

You felt guilty about lying, but part of it was true in a way.

"Its too bad we both ended up getting captured by these neko demons," Kagome said with a sad smile. "And I'm scared about what they're planning on doing with all of us. They mentioned something about bringing us to their lord…."

You frowned at this, gazing ahead where you could make out what looked like a castle sitting on top of a high hill in the distance.

"But I know Inuyasha will save us…." Kagome spoke up in a soft voice, looking backwards as you noticed her eyes sparkling with what appeared to be hope.

_Hakudoshi would probably be pissed if he learned I got myself kidnapped _you thought to yourself with a bitter smile. _I wonder if he even would try to save me_….?

You shook your head, knowing now wasn't the time to be worrying about a stupid thing like that. If you could find a way to get the ropes off your wrist, maybe you could use your new powers and save yourself along with Kagome and the other girls.

_Because I'm getting so damn sick of being a damsel in distress_ you thought while gritting your teeth; your eyes narrowing when seeing that you had reached your destination; the feral grins on the male cat demon's lips, only angering you even more.


	6. Chapter 6

(A/N: I am so sorry it took me literally forever to get this next chapter posted, but I wasn't really able to write much before. But I hope this makes up for the long delay, and I apologize if it isn't. But thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'm sorry I didn't mention you, but it meant a lot to me. ^_^ Though I should warn there are slight mentions of rape, so this might make some uncomfortable.)

* * *

><p>The six cat demons roughly yanked the terrified girls, Kagome, and you off of the cart, forcing all of you to follow them inside the grand castle.<p>

This was the first time you had ever been inside a traditional Japanese styled palace, and it was indeed beautiful. The wooden floors were polished enough that you could see your face reflected in them, while the walls had been painted with cheery blossoms and a large lake that had cranes drinking from it.

You weren't able to really admire the intricate artwork and craftsmanship though since you were being led up some wooden stairs, and were snapped at when lagging behind.

Two of the demons pulled open a screen door where a large tatami room was. The only thing that seemed to be in the room were swords that decorated the walls, and a low oaken table where a neko demon who seemed different from the others, sat.

"Here's the latest batch, Kurohyou. Hopefully, they'll be better than the last." a scraggly brown haired neko snickered out.

The man known as Kurohyou just smirked, his hand lazily resting against his fair skinned cheek as he seemed to be examining you and the others with his dark, almost black, eyes. It reminded you of the way some boys from your old school would leer at girls, and it made your temper rise.

"And the poor fillies look more scared than the last group too," Kurohyou chuckled out, standing up and approaching one of the girls as he gripped hold of her trembling chin. "Though there's no need to be. We're a lot more…gentle then most demons."

This caused his fellow demons to laugh, and Kagome to share a worried look with you. If these cats were planning what you and Kagome no doubt feared, it made it more apparent that you needed to escape.

You formed a line along with the others when being instructed to, trying to hide the slight fear you felt with an emotionless look as Kurohyou seemed to closely be examining each one of you.

_Guess Kagome isn't as weak as I first pictured her to be _you admitted to yourself with a faint smile since she was giving Kurohyou a rather fierce glare.

"Looks like you have some fight in you," Kurohyou mused with a grin, his clawed hand turning Kagome's face from side to side.

"You won't be grinning when Inuyasha get's here! He'll turn you into a chew toy, flea bag!" Kagome threatened.

"Inuyasha? Is he the reason you smell slightly like a dog?" Kurohyou snorted out, his comment causing Kagome's cheeks to lightly turn pink. "The Inu race isn't as strong as they once were, and I see no reason to fear a washed up mutt."

"Especially since he seemed to be having trouble against our familiars. They've probably ripped him apart by now!" a neko with red hair in a high ponytail mocked.

You raised a brow, wondering what he meant by familiars, and jumped slightly when hearing a sudden loud growl as a tiger larger than normal, walked into the room and approached the red haired neko who scratched it affectionately behind the ears.

Other large felines entered the room as a ferocious looking panther stood beside Kurohyou, its piercing yellow eyes looking at you with hunger. Even more, it was holding a red cloth in its mouth that caused Kagome to gasp.

"Seems like your pet mutt couldn't handle our familiars. But then, I can't say I'd expect much from a worthless half-breed dog." Kurohyou said cruelly, and your body tensed as you now noticed the blood on the piece of cloth.

Kagome, who seemed to be in a state of shock, fell to her knees as she said nothing, but tears began to fall down her cheeks while the light that had once been in her eyes, had grown dim.

"You know, I've always liked cats, but you creeps give them a bad name!" you growled out, your dark brown eyes narrowing into slits.

Kurohyou who was laughing, stopped and turned his attention on you.

"Another feisty one, eh? And your certainly a unique little minx," Kurohyou said in a sultry voice, taking hold of a strand of your light blond hair. "I've never seen a color like this on a female before. Makes you almost look like a demon."

You scowled, wondering how someone with such a handsome face, could be so evil? Then again, you should probably never trust someone with an eye patch as he wore one over his left eye.

"Keep touching me, and I'll make you regret it!" you said hostilely while jerking your hair that he was stroking, out of his hand.

Kurohyou, who seemed more amused than angry, turned to grin at the others. "Leave this one with me. I'm sure our other guests are hungry by now, so why don't you show them a good time."

You chewed the inside of your lip since Kagome who was still unresponsive, was jerked up off the floor and pulled out of the room with the other girls; the familiars leaving the room too.

_Dammit_! _If only I could get these ropes loosened_!

"What's the matter? Are those ropes digging into your skin? My boys always seem to forget how delicate a human's flesh is." Kurohyou said casually, surprising you a little when he took a sword that was strapped to the side of the deep red kimono he wore, and sliced off the rope.

"Your probably going to regret doing that!" you warned with a cool smirk, making sure your feet were firmly placed on the ground while you extended out your arm.

"Just what is it your trying to do?" Kurohyou said with a shake of his head, moving to sit down on a deep blue cushion. "Now, come have a seat. We should get to know each other better."

Your eyes grew wide, and you cautiously moved your hand toward your face to examine it. The mark was still there, but there was no warmth emanating from it like before. Could there be a reason why you were unable to use that light based attack again?

"Your not going to make me repeat myself, are you?"

You gritted your teeth, but there was nothing you could do at the moment, so you slowly moved to sit down on the opposite cushion on your knees; keeping your focus on your lap since the fact that Kurohyou was staring you down, made you feel awkward.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself to me?" Kurohyou chuckled out, sipping on a small cup that was most likely filled with sake.

You didn't respond, and this caused the cat demon to frown; his sword suddenly being pointed at your throat as you knew he could easily slice off your head before you had time to react if he wanted.

"Its Air…." you muttered, feeling there was no reason to tell the man your full name at least.

"That's an unusual name, but I'm guessing your not from around here," Kurohyou said while swishing the contents of his cup around. "So, my dear Air, aren't you wondering why my comrades brought you here?"

"Unfortunately, I think I have a pretty good idea why…." you answered in a bitter tone.

This made Kurohyou laugh and he leaned over the table, tipping up your chin to make you look him directly in his eye.

"Is that right? Well did you know that there aren't very many neko demon's left in Japan? Females are especially hard to come by. So in order to make sure our race doesn't go extinct, we've been forced to mate with human females," Kurohyou explained in a low tone. "And a half-breed neko is better than none."

You gasped since he had suddenly pounced you to the ground, and despite now feeling frightened, you couldn't help but feel flustered too as you had never been this close to a guy before. And it didn't help that his muscular chest was slightly exposed.

"Unfortunately, it seems that its difficult for most human's to bare our kitten's," Kurohyou whispered, his face so close to yours, that you could feel his breath while his shoulder-length black hair with a hint of blue, tickled your face. "A few have died, but something tells me your body might actually be able to take it."

Your eyes grew wide as saucers since something soft and warm was being pressed against your lips, and it took you a moment to realize that you were being kissed.

_H-he's actually kissing me_! _And this is my first_…_my first kiss too_…._I-I need to push him off, but my body won't move_!

The beating of your heart grew more intense, and the only thing you could manage, was to close your eyes while his tongue slipped out to trace the outline of your lips.

There was no telling what would have happened next if it hadn't been for the sudden loud crashing noises along with the cries of angry voices coming from downstairs, catching the alpha of the cat demon's attention.

"What the hell are they doing down there?" Kurohyou snarled out, pulling away from you and moving to investigate for himself.

However, the neko demon with red hair suddenly opened the door before Kurohyou could with a panicked look on his features.

"Its that damn hanyou! Him and the human's he's with have infiltrated the cas-" the cat demon started to say, only to choke on his words since a blade had been pierced right through his torso.

"Maybe Inuyasha isn't the one you should be worrying about." a voice you knew quite well said coldly, and you slowly turned to see none other than Hakudoshi who was pulling his naginata out of the now dead cat demon.

"Hakudoshi? Your…here?" you said quietly, not having expected him to show up.

But Hakudoshi ignored you, his attention on Kurohyou who had drawn his blade.

"Bastard! How dare you kill Tora right in front of me!" Kurohyou roared out, lunging at Hakudoshi with incredible speed.

A small cry left your lips before your hands went to cover them since Kurohyou had sliced a startled looking Hakudoshi in half, and you watched in horror as his upper body fell away from his lower part.

"No…It can't be…." you mustered out, knowing this aching sensation that had filled your chest, was how Kagome must have felt when she believed Inuyasha had been killed.

"Worthless child! You brought this death upon yourself by daring to challenge me!" Kurohyou said harshly, swinging his blade clean of blood.

Before Kurohyou could move downstairs to help his friends, an amused laugh filled the room, and your face that had lowered, lifted up to see that Hakudoshi's body was gradually reattaching itself.

"Yes. Its just a shame that attack of yours had no effect on me at all," Hakudoshi said cockily, smirking when Kurohyou jumped away from him.

"How? You should be dead!" Kurohyou shouted, and you noticed that the hand that held his sword, was lightly shaking. "Just what are you, boy?!"

Hakudoshi only smiled in a way that would send shivers up most men's spines, his naginata clashing with Kurohyou's blade as you could only watch in a daze as the two exchanged blows.

_Kurohyou's right_. _Its not possible for anyone to do something like that_, _demon or not_…_Does that mean Hakudoshi can never die _you thought feeling both amazed and a little startled by this idea.

A pained cry came from Kurohyou, and you realized why when seeing blood pouring from a deep wound that had been made to his chest.

"Looks like the neko race really is going to become extinct at this rate." Hakudoshi snickered out, raising his weapon over his head to deal the final blow.

"W-wait!" you cried out, letting out a sigh of relief when Hakudoshi paused, but he looked irritated. "This guy probably does deserve to die, but killing him like this doesn't seem right…."

"Obviously, you really are as foolish as you look. Or have you already forgotten what these cats planned to do to you and those other humans?" Hakudoshi scoffed, his blade causing a now scared looking Kurohyou's neck to bleed a little.

"Yes, and believe me, he should be punished for it," you said tersely. "But killing him is too extreme. I can tell he's worried about his race disappearing. His methods of changing that are just wrong. Maybe he'll understand that now…."

You didn't acknowledge the fact that Kurohyou had turned to look back at you, but hearing a grunt, you peered at the demon to see his eyes rolling in the back of his head, realizing Hakudoshi must have knocked him unconscious as he fell to the floor.

"Maybe I should have left you. Allowing yourself to become a hostage like that in the first place…." Hakudoshi said icily, his words causing your body to flinch.

You stared down at the floor, not really sure what to say since the atmosphere in the room felt heavy. So much so that you were actually finding it a little difficult to breathe. And perhaps it wasn't a good thing, but the sudden appearance of Inuyasha, Kagome, and the others rushing into the room, made you feel grateful.

"I thought it was you, Hakudoshi! Let me guess, your some how involved with these damn cats?!" Inuyasha snarled out, displaying his large sword in a threatening manner.

"As if I'd involve myself with such weaklings. Like you, I found myself unfortunately having to deal with them." Hakudoshi said with a calm smirk.

A frown was on Kagome's face, but she turned her focus on you with concerned laced in her orbs.

"Are you alright, Air? They didn't hurt you, did they?" she asked, peering over at the unconscious Kurohyou.

"…I'm fine," you said in a soft voice, slowly standing up from the floor where you sat. "Hakudoshi arrived and stopped him before anything could happen…."

"Hakudoshi saved you?" Sango gasped out, a look of complete disbelief on her face which you took to mean that the child-like demon normally wouldn't do such a thing.

"Hang on a sec…Why are you acting as if you know him?" Inuyasha questioned with narrowed eyes.

"Well that should be obvious, even for you," Hakudoshi said with a condescending smile that caused Inuyasha to grind his teeth. "Because the girl is working for me. Didn't you find it odd that she just disappeared exactly the day that weak little village was attacked?"

You could feel Inuyasha and his friends eyes on you, yet couldn't bring yourself to look at them since you had a good notion of what was most likely going through their heads. Inuyasha was just the first to express it.

"I thought it was odd I could sense Naraku around the well where you should have been. You were allied with that bastard the whole time and leading us on, weren't you?!" Inuyasha growled out, the veins on his hands showing from how tightly he gripped onto his sword.

"No! I don't even know who this Naraku guy is!" you said defensively. "I only learned about him recently from Kagome…."

"If that's the case, then Hakudoshi is obviously using you, Air. I'm not certain for the reason, but it is too dangerous to remain in his company," Miroku spoke up with furrowed brows.

"Heh, is that so? The girl would be dead right now if it wasn't for me. Or do you agree with the monk, Air? Do _you _believe being in my company is _dangerous_?" Hakudoshi asked with a smile.

But there was something about his smile that made a cold sweat trickle down the back of your neck. And for the very first time since you had met Hakudoshi, you were actually scared.

"I…." was the only thing you could muster out, unsure of what to say.

"You don't have to answer him, Air! No matter what Hakudoshi says or does, you can't trust him! Just like Naraku, he's hurt others and uses them for his own selfish desires!" Kagome cautioned, looking at Hakudoshi with clear anger.

You weren't sure what to say or think, but it felt like someone was pounding the inside of your head with a hammer.

Hakudoshi seemed to be getting impatient as he appeared in front of you with an emotionless look on his pale features, and you held back from wincing since he had roughly grabbed your wrist.

"Its time to leave." he said lowly, his purple barrier surrounding you both where it then lifted the two of you up into the air.

"Get back here, you coward!" Inuyasha yelled, letting out a swear since he couldn't use his Wind Scar or it might injure you.

You watched their forms become smaller the higher you raised into the air, and sighed heavily once Hakudoshi had released your wrist; turning his back on you.

"Upset that you didn't get to go with them?" he questioned, and you had the feeling he was sneering.

"…I get it alright. Your angry that I was careless and didn't fight back," you expressed quietly, wrapping your arms around your body. "I wanted to, believe me, but that light wouldn't come out of my hand. There was nothing I could do…."

Hakudoshi was quiet for some time, and you wondered if this tenseness between the two of you would ever fade? But then, he let out what sounded like a dry chuckle.

"You human's really are hopeless. Demon or not, you should have fought back instead of allowing your body to freeze up on you like that so that man could do with you as he pleased."

"You…were listening in on my mind again, weren't you? I should be mad, but then, you probably wouldn't have been able to find me otherwise, right?" you said with a small laugh, staring up at the sky.

Hakudoshi didn't say anything, and you gently bit your lower lip, deciding to say something more before an awkward silence could fall between you both.

"After seeing how Kagome and the others reacted to you, I know I probably shouldn't stay. And yet, its because of you that I even learned I had powers in the first place and because Kurohyou was stopped…That's why, I'm going to remain with you. Because I know I can grow stronger and master these powers if I do and also, maybe I'm a fool like you said, but I do trust you, Hakudoshi…."

You let out a breath of air since you weren't used to saying that much in once sentence. Hakudoshi didn't seem to know what to make of your little speech either since his eyes had closed, and it made you wish you could read his thoughts the way he did yours.

"Is that so? You might regret those words some day. Especially if you allow yourself to be captured again since I don't plan on rushing to your aid," Hakudoshi claimed, a slow smirk curving up his lips.

You only let out a small giggle to his threat, and smiled faintly. "I see. Too bad I don't plan on allowing myself to end up in that sort of situation again."

Hearing Hakudoshi snickering, the smile on your face grew. Maybe you couldn't trust him, and a part of you told you that you should fear him. Yet for now, you were content at remaining by his side no matter what the future had in store for you.


End file.
